PERI lets engineers get hands-on

PERI has held its first CPD (continuing professional development) event to give engineers from Richter and 48.3 Scaffolding Design Limited an insight into its scaffolding range and applications.

The event was held at PERI’s new £15m facility in Brentwood, allowing attendees to get closer to the temporary works systems they are used to working with on screen.

The agenda involved a blend of product knowledge and practical exercises, which gave the engineers a better understanding of how scaffold and formwork designs impact the end user and the construction process on site.

Graduate Engineer at Richter, Huda Lohiya, said: “I found the workshop really useful; any time I had a question I didn’t feel embarrassed to ask it, which is really important, especially as a woman in engineering.

“Being able to implement the components and put them together during the practical exercise has helped me to understand some of the struggles on site. So now, when I think about designing a project, I’m thinking of ways to simplify the process and how I can make it easier for those building the system.”

Charles Stratford, Business Development Manager – PERI UP, added: “In today’s world, it’s really important that we share our knowledge and work collaboratively with the whole supply chain. The days are gone where you stand alone in winning major projects and promoting safe working practices.

“We feel it’s important that engineers have a full appreciation of weight, buildability, and the integration with other systems to be able to put the best design forward.

“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback around the event, and we look forward to hosting more days like this where we can support the next generation of industry workers as we strive to make the construction process more efficient and safer.”

Offsite Solutions seals £2.8m bathroom pod deal with Grainger

September 22, 2021

Bathroom pod manufacturer Offsite Solutions has been awarded its second contract for the UK’s largest listed residential landlord Grainger plc.

The latest deal is to manufacture 567 steel-framed bathroom and shower pods for Exchange Square in Birmingham which is under construction by main contractor McAleer & Rushe. The pod deliveries to site will begin towards the end of 2021 and will be completed by summer 2022 as the building’s structure is constructed.

Exchange Square is developed by Nikal for Grainger plc and will provide 375 homes for rent in a landmark 37-storey tower.

Designed by Stephenson Hamilton Risely Studio, the £68m scheme occupies a prominent location opposite HS2 Curzon Birmingham. Completion is scheduled for summer 2023.

The bathroom pods for Exchange Square will have dark grey, large format porcelain wall and floor tiles with staggered ‘brick bond’ tile joints to the walls. The bathrooms will be fully fitted in the factory with a three-door mirrored cabinet, a solid surface vanity shelf, semi-pedestal wall hung basin, bath with glass hinged shower screen, heated ladder towel rail, and floor mounted toilet. The shower rooms will have a two-door mirrored wall cabinet and a sliding shower door.

Helena Tsiantes Jansson, Senior Forward Fund Development Manager at Grainger plc, said: “We fully support the use of offsite manufacturing and for the bathrooms, it gives us the unique opportunity to check the pods in the factory before going into full production. This allows us to review the design detailing and make any minor changes, which is just not possible on site.

“Following our recent visit to Offsite Solutions’ factory, we were very impressed with the quality of the finishes, particularly the grouting and tiling. The quality was spot on and will result in a better quality product for our residents. Fitting out the bathrooms in a factory which has much more space and light than on site, definitely impacts positively on quality. It is also much easier for us to deal with a single supplier for the bathrooms.”

Offsite Solutions is also manufacturing pods for Enigma Square in Milton Keynes – another Grainger build-to-rent scheme which is under construction by Bowmer and Kirkland.

Akela Group moves into England with new Leeds hub

September 22, 2021

Scottish civils contractor Akela Group is moving into the English market with the opening of a new division in Leeds.

The new North of England hub will lead expansion plans outside of Akela’s traditional Scottish base.

The firm expects its business to grow by 10% over the next two years as a result of the move.

The new Leeds team will be led by Construction Manager, Martin Leahy, who brings over 15 years industry experience having previously worked with the Robertson Group and Laing O’Rourke.

Group company Akela Ground Engineering has secured its first contract at Knaresborough in the North of Yorkshire and is currently tendering for a variety of new housing and commercial build contracts throughout the county.

Across Scotland the Akela Group currently employs 300 staff providing civil engineering, construction, piling and training services.

Mark Markey, Akela Group Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to see our long term ambition to expand and grow the company in front of a UK audience come to fruition. We are seeing increased levels of demand for the wide range of ground engineering and civil engineering services, particularly in the North of England and we are well placed to meet that growing demand.

“The opening of the Leeds hub presents an excellent growth opportunity for the Akela Group and it will bring an abundance of employment opportunities and economic benefits to the region and beyond.”

Leahy said: “It’s an exciting time for the Akela Group and there is a huge opportunity to grow the business in the North and I am delighted to be leading the team at the new Leeds hub.

“I am passionate about collaboration and delivering insightful solutions for clients and l look forward to working on a wide range of projects as we realise the growth ambitions in the North of England.”

Inquiry starts into construction of Scottish hospitals

The independent Inquiry into the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus (QEUH) in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences (RHCYP/DCN) in Edinburgh starts today.

The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry will hear from affected patients and families when the first oral hearings begin on Monday.

The inquiry will determine how issues relating to adequacy of ventilation, water contamination and other matters impacted on patient safety and care and whether these issues could have been prevented.

It will also examine the impact of these issues on patients and their families and whether the buildings provide a suitable environment for the delivery of safe, effective care. It will make recommendations to ensure any past mistakes are not repeated in future NHS infrastructure projects.

The inquiry was ordered after patients at the Glasgow hospital died from infections linked to pigeon droppings and the water supply, and the opening of the Edinburgh site was delayed due to concerns over the ventilation system.

Lord Brodie, Chair of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry said: “No other group has been more affected by these issues than the patients and families from whom we will be hearing in the next few weeks.

“Their experiences will help inform future lines of investigation as we turn our attention to subsequent phases of the Inquiry.

“This first diet of hearings is the culmination of a year of preparation, providing us with a foundation to ensure that the Inquiry is led by the evidence it uncovers during the course of its lifetime.

“Ultimately, our role is to understand what went wrong with the construction of these hospitals so lessons can be learned to prevent the recurrence of such issues in the future.”

The following organisations have been designated as core participants by the Chair:

Currie & Brown UK LimitedGreater Glasgow Health BoardIBI Group (UK) LimitedIHS Lothian LimitedLothian Health BoardMott MacDonald LimitedMultiplex Construction Europe LimitedNHS National Services ScotlandScottish Futures TrustThe Scottish MinistersTÜV SÜD Limited

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Thompsons blow down iconic Dorman Long tower – video

Thompsons of Prudhoe successfully brought down the iconic Dorman Long tower at the former Redcar steelworks in an explosive demolition over the weekend.

The building was brought down in the early hours of Sunday morning in a series of 10 second controlled explosions which saw four major structures demolished at once.

The project went ahead after new culture secretary Nadine Dorries overturned a decision by Historic England last week to grade II list the concrete coal silo, which campaigners were battling to save as a symbol of Britain’s industrial heritage on Teesside.

An independent report by engineers Atkins showed “ongoing and irreversible” damage to the structure meant it could cost between £7m and £9m to secure and maintain.

Concrete cracking and weakening saw concerns raised about demolition costs rising further in future years.

Structures before being brought down in controlled demolition by Thompsons

The demolition, which was carried out at night in order to avoid disruption to train services, paves the way for a mammoth new factory to manufacture wind turbine blades.

Wind turbine manufacturing and assembly facility at Teesworks

The huge 800,000 sq ft facility, in the South Bank zone of the Teesworks site, will sit alongside a new 1km heavy lift quay, creating the UK’s premier location for offshore wind.

Construction is due to begin in October sustaining 2,250 construction jobs before the factory comes on line.

The first blade is expected to roll off the production line in 2023, with the factory serving Dogger Bank, the world’s largest wind farm located just 80 miles off the North East coast.

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Builders’ merchants merge to create 123-branch chain

Grant & Stone Group and Independent Builders Merchant Group have merged to create a 123-branch chain across southern England.

The expanded IBMG will now boast revenues of over £500m and employ over 1,700 staff.

The latest deal comes after a spate of major merger and acquisition activity in the construction distribution sector.

The expanded group now covers Cornwall to Kent and comprises builders’ merchants, electrical wholesalers, plumbers’ merchants, kitchen and bathroom showrooms, roofing merchants, a timber processing site, and a dedicated ecommerce business.

With the support and investment from their strategic partner, Cairngorm Capital, both businesses have scaled-up in recent years.

IBMG has grown from 15 branches and revenues of £67m just over three years ago to 39 branches and revenues of over £200m.

In parallel, Grant & Stone has grown from 29 branches in the Thames Valley and revenues of £100m two years ago to 84 branches between London and Cornwall, and revenues in excess of £300m.

The merger creates the largest independent builders’ merchant group in southern England.

At a group level, the new combined company will be known as Independent Builders Merchant Group although existing trading names and brands will continue to be used for all customer-facing activity.

IBMG’s 12 brands

Buildit, Chandlers Building Supplies, Chandlers Roofing, CRS Building Supplies, Devondale Electrical, Fairalls Builders Merchants, Grant & Stone, Parkers Building Supplies, RGB Building Supplies, Stamco Timber, Total Plumbing Supplies, and Trading Depot.

Nick House, Group Chief Executive of Grant & Stone, will lead the new combined IBMG business, with Peter Cudd (Group Managing Director).

Nick House, group chief executive of IBMG, said: “This merger is the natural progression for both companies. Our branch networks and product ranges are highly complementary and our values, vision and commitment to customers are completely aligned, which creates exciting opportunities for us all.”

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First contractor fined after 316,000 HSE Covid spot checks

A construction contractor has become the first firm fined following a Covid spot check at a site in Manchester.

The HSE revealed it has carried-out 316,000 Covid spot checks across all industries since the start of the pandemic – with only one prosecution so far.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that on 9 July 2020, a safety inspector performed a proactive Covid-19 spot check at a construction site in the city.

During the inspection, a host of safety issues were identified including working at height, welfare, Covid-19, site security, and electricity. The principal contractor was served with a Prohibition Notice and two Improvement Notices.

A return inspection was made on the 17 August 2020, after very little communication from the principal contractor. Little or no improvements had been made regarding the issues and additional enforcement action was required, including a further Prohibition Notice regarding an unsupported excavation.

It was subsequently established that the contractor had failed to comply with any of the Improvement Notices HSE had served.

Principal contractor Umar Akram Khatab, now resident in Bradford, pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was sentenced to a 12-month community order. He was also ordered to pay £3,000 towards costs and a victim surcharge of £95.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Rebecca Vaudrey said: “HSE prides itself on being a proportionate and evidence-based regulator. Since the beginning of the pandemic HSE has carried out more than 316,000 Covid spot checks, with the priority to urgently make workplaces safe from transmission risks, rather than heavy-handed enforcement.

“These checks have demonstrated that the majority of employers want to do the right thing to ensure their workers go home safe and well.

“This is the first prosecution to arise from the Spot Check programme. We’ve repeatedly stressed that prosecution is a last resort, but this case clearly illustrates that where there is consistent disregard to Covid or other risks to employees’ health and safety, HSE will use its powers to take action.”

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Bourne hires new engineering director

September 20, 2021

Steelwork specialist Bourne Group has appointed Denis McNelis as group engineering director to spread its reach into new projects.

Before joining Bourne, McNelis operated at a director and technical engineering manager level on significant projects across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the UAE.

With over 16 years of experience working in design consultancy and a further 17 years in construction, he has worked on projects ranging from sports stadiums to bridges, to large scale industrial buildings and refurbishment projects including his two most recent projects, the new Abu Dhabi Airport Midfield Terminal and the iconic Museum of the Future in Dubai.

Denis brings a passion for construction across all forms of projects, while leveraging his strength in design and BIM.

Steve Govier, CEO for Bourne Group, said: “Denis has built a well-earned reputation and his appointment is aimed at ensuring that all of the Bourne Group companies remain at the forefront of the latest engineering and technology practices and are well placed to support future growth and diversification into new products and markets.”

McNelis said: “I am looking forward to working with the very experienced team at Bourne, to help expand the areas of work that the Bourne Group operates within

HSE shuts M6 job after excavator topples into trench

September 20, 2021